Sister, Love / xan-xi bethel

Sisters to the sea
Stones in the ocean
We are—
Hispaniola
half-side
of a pot pourri
sweet, spicy flavour
mix-up
fix-up
boil together for
hot pepper-pot
Beautiful flower
Haiti
Once a pearl
Gem of the
Caribbean
Naked now
only hard rock
to sit on
to shit on
Sisters to the sea
Stones in the ocean
We are—
Haiti
you’ve been
robbed
mauled
butchered
chopped up
chopped down
until the tears of the people
soaked through
the dust
and dampened the
bones of those
black, dark
Africans
that fought for their
Liberation to
Paradise
Sisters to the sea
Stones in the ocean
We are—
Haiti cries
a little more
everyday
as everyday
more babies are
ripped from their
mothers’ wombs
life-cord dangling
political suicide
Know this!
Sister Haiti
has been
scrubbed rotten
rubbed rotten
sucked rotten
and loved
until rotten
Sisters to the sea
Stones in the ocean
We are—
Rocks on the
same water
We are
from the same Africa
Man!
the same Africa land
Shared the same womb
sucked the same
tits—
Tell Me
Why you want to
fight your brother-Man
Deny your mother
Come on Man
Sisters to the sea
Stones in the ocean
We are—
Skin pressed
glistening
black
Our pasts move together
close
like the gentle stroking
the sexing
of two lovers on
the Caribbean sea
Sister, Love
I will deny you
no longer

•••

Xan-Xi Bethel is a visual artist and poet. She has been painting and writing for the past ten years. She is currently working on her first book, a compilation of illustrations and poetry, and is best known for her spoken word performances.